HBO Max Gets ‘Harley Quinn’ Season 3 as DC Universe Becomes Digital Comics Service
HBO Max will be getting the third season of the animated “Harley Quinn” series. The show, which premiered on DC Universe, is moving to HBO Max as part of WarnerMedia’s plan to relaunch the former platform as a hub for digital comic books rather than original television.
The DC Universe streaming service launched in 2018 and served as WarnerMedia’s hub for the company’s scripted superhero series old and new, such as the early 2000s “Justice League” series, as well as original shows such as “Doom Patrol” and “Swamp Thing.” WarnerMedia will relaunch the platform as DC Universe Infinite on January 21, 2021 as a digital comic book service that will boast more than 24,000 titles at launch. The company stated that the new platform will feature DC fan events and recently released comics six months after their physical versions hit retailers. The service will also offer original comics and customers will be able to download titles for offline reading.
Existing DC Universe subscriptions will transfer over to DC Universe Infinite, which will still cost $7.99 per month. Current DC Universe subscribers can upgrade their subscription to include HBO Max for an additional $4.99 per month through October 30; HBO Max’s standard subscription cost is $14.99 per month.
As for “Harley Quinn,” which is unrelated to the “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” movie or the broader DC Extended Universe film franchise, the adult animated series follows the misadventures of Harley (Kaley Cuoco) after she breaks up with the Joker. The show premiered in November 2019 and Season 2 premiered in April 2020. WarnerMedia did not announce a release date for Season 3.
“Our fans love the platform’s robust library of comic books and, with the transformation, we will not disappoint,” Jim Lee, DC’s publisher and chief creative officer, said in a statement. “I’m excited to share that not only will DC Universe Infinite members still be able to read all of the great comics that they’ve enjoyed but new issues are debuting on the platform quicker than before, digital first exclusives are being created, and the members-only events will begin as soon as possible. There has never been a better time to be a DC fan.”
WarnerMedia has been working to consolidate its various streaming services and other TV distribution platforms since HBO Max launched in late May. The company recently retired HBO Go and rebranded HBO Now as HBO in an effort to reduce confusion about its similarly-named services. WarnerMedia’s investments in HBO Max posed questions about the relevance of DC Universe, as WarnerMedia has announced a variety of HBO Max DC superhero series over the last year.
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